


EXhaustiOn

by itschaosupthere



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: BaekYeol - Freeform, Canon Compliant, ChanBaek - Freeform, Insomnia, Light Angst, M/M, Pre-Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-13
Updated: 2019-08-13
Packaged: 2020-08-23 04:19:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,592
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20236630
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/itschaosupthere/pseuds/itschaosupthere
Summary: An overactive mind and an overtired body have Baekhyun seeking Chanyeol's presence for comfort when sleep evades him.





	EXhaustiOn

**Author's Note:**

> This was a bit of a spur of the moment kind of fic, simply because it's baffling me how many activities Baekhyun seems to have going on at the minute. Shipping aside, it warms my heart to imagine Chanyeol and Baekhyun looking after each other when they're working so hard.   
Also, I have such a vague idea of their schedules that if this isn't 1000% accurate then I'm sorry, I tried my best. 
> 
> p.s. the title might be on the verge of cheesy

Chanyeol barely reacted when Baekhyun slumped into his room and curled up on the bed. He glanced over at him but soon turned back to his computer and the track he was fixing, for some reason he kept finding little glitches in the recording and it was driving him mad. He let the first thirty seconds play again and, hearing no unwanted noises, sighed with relief that he had at least managed to fix that much of it. However, he was going to have to keep working all night if he wanted to get the rest sorted by tomorrow. They had a run of concerts in the next couple of weeks, ergo he’d have no time at all to finish the track after tonight.

He picked up his bottle of water and took a swig, wondering whether he should get some food before he settled himself in to work again. That’s when he looked back over at Baekhyun and saw that the other boy was crying. Chanyeol hastily put down his water bottle and took off his headphones, blanching at the tears glistening in Baekhyun’s eyes that he wasn’t even bothering to hide. He just lay there, staring into space.

‘Baekhyun-ah?’ Chanyeol got up from his desk chair and crouched in front of his bed to be at eye level with his friend. ‘What’s wrong?’

Baekhyun focussed in on him instead of the wall ahead and let out a shaky breath. ‘I’m so tired.’ He murmured. ‘I keep trying to sleep but I c-can’t, so I thought I’d… I’d come here instead.’

‘You can sleep here.’ Chanyeol said as if it should have been obvious, as if Baekhyun had been asking permission.

‘I know.’ He replied, because he wasn’t asking. ‘But I _can’t_.’

Forced to move anyway by the ache from how he was crouched, Chanyeol repositioned himself on the bed and looked down at Baekhyun. ‘Why not?’

Baekhyun stared right back up at him. His face was so pale and shadowed, not helped at all by his tears. ‘I don’t know. I feel more tired than I’ve ever been but every time I lie down I just start thinking about choreography and schedules and new projects an-’ His breath hitched, and he swallowed.

‘I know you’ve got a lot on your plate at the minute.’ Chanyeol said, suddenly thinking that this was one of the first nights he’d actually_ seen _Baekhyun in a while with the latter constantly off to one thing or another, whether that was promoting his solo or heading to meetings with the company about the collab group. Chanyeol had had his fair share of activities to keep him occupied, but it hardly compared to what Baekhyun was putting up with.

‘It’s not that I’m not grateful for these opportunities… but I- I feel like I’m working on autopilot just to try and keep going.’ Baekhyun sighed. He wiped away the tear tracks on his cheeks. ‘And now we’ve got the rest of the tour coming up and I thought if I could just_ sleep_… I’d be ok.’ His voice had gotten more strangled towards the end and Chanyeol felt his own throat constricting in sympathy.

‘I’ll be up there with you on stage though.’ He gave a lopsided smile. ‘We always have fun.’ Baekhyun managed a bubble of laughter, but it drastically changed into another sob. Chanyeol panicked and slipped down onto his side so that he could pull Baekhyun into a hug. ‘Hey, hey, don’t cry. It’s gonna be alright.’

Baekhyun didn’t respond to him for some time. He had a vice-like grip on the front of Chanyeol’s hoodie as he cried into his chest, his tears soaking through the material. He cried silently save for the frequent sharp intakes of breath. His body shuddered against Chanyeol’s, and it felt so small and fragile to him, like he might break if Chanyeol held him too tightly. He stroked Baekhyun’s hair and rubbed circles into his back, hoping that the repetitive motion would soothe him and indeed, he eventually did calm down.

Baekhyun’s breathing levelled out, almost as if he had finally gone to sleep, but that was unfortunately not the case. He let go of Chanyeol, remaining in his hold but shuffling backwards a little so that he could speak properly.

‘Will you stay here with me tonight? Even if I can’t sleep, I don’t want you to go.’ He muttered brokenly.

Chanyeol thought about his music, about fixing the track before he had no time left to do so. He wanted it ready for the next album which meant it had to be perfect. If he didn’t get it done now, when would he? After the shows were over, who knew what he’d then be thrown into. Their schedules flew in so rapidly, with little chance for negotiation, there was no telling when he’d get his next opportunity to sit down and produce without distractions.

He gave Baekhyun a squeeze. ‘Of course I will.’

-

Chanyeol instructed Baekhyun to get under the covers while he shut off his computer, making sure to save his progress, then made a quick trip to the bathroom. He returned in his pyjama pants and a baggy t-shirt, and turned off the main light before he got into bed beside the other boy. He sank into the warmth of the mattress as he eyed Baekhyun in the glow of the bedside lamp, he had his eyes closed but he was frowning. Chanyeol reached up with his index finger and stroked across the furrowed eyebrows, encouraging them to un-crease.

‘What you thinking about?’ He said softly.

Baekhyun’s eyes fluttered open. ‘If I didn’t work as much, would people forget about me?’ He answered honestly.

Chanyeol let out nervous chuckle. ‘Don’t be silly. You’re too loud.’

‘Hey!’ Baekhyun’s voice raised above a croak for the first time that evening.

‘See.’ Chanyeol grinned. ‘No one would forget you, Baek.’ He added on a more serious note. ‘I hope you don’t think you have to keep committing to all these projects just to stay relevant.’

‘I don’t. I just…’ Baekhyun sighed heavily. ‘I just want to do the best I can.’

‘And you are!’ Chanyeol insisted. ‘You’re the most talented person I know, I’ve told you it a million times. You can do anything.’

Baekhyun snorted, brushing off the praise.

‘No, listen, I mean it.’ Chanyeol went on. ‘Even if you don’t believe it… believe _me _when I say you’re amazing.’ He smiled. ‘Because you know I never lie to you.’

The air around them was becoming palpable. They’d been in this position before, lying or sitting next to each other, speaking words of encouragement and praise. Then a strange feeling would prickle their senses and they’d find it difficult to say anything more with the way their heart rates had picked up slightly, with their words caught in their throats as they gazed at each other.

Chanyeol like to hope that one day he wouldn’t become so uselessly tongue-tied and motionless, that the perfect words would come to him and he’d be able to name the feeling that lingered in the air. He wanted to be brave, to chase after the unknown. But in the end, it always came down to one of them breaking the tension by changing the subject or moving away. Chanyeol felt the urge rise in him to say something stupidly inane like he was going to turn the lamp off now… but then he saw one last single tear roll down Baekhyun’s cheek and something in him changed.

‘Please don’t cry.’ He whispered as he reached up and stroked Baekhyun’s cheek, wiping the tear away with his thumb. He used his other hand to pull Baekhyun close to him again and before a second thought could cross his mind, he planted a gentle kiss onto the other boy’s forehead. ‘Don’t cry.’ He repeated, his lips still close enough to brush Baekhyun’s skin.

Baekhyun let out several trembling breaths, nuzzling himself into the crook of Chanyeol’s neck. He draped his arms over the larger body and tangled their legs together. ‘You’re amazing too.’ He murmured, still trying to find a comfortable spot to rest his head. He looked up. Chanyeol looked back. Their faces were so close, so intimately close, it could almost have been an accident in trying to move apart when Chanyeol lips found their way to Baekhyun’s.

But it wasn’t an accident. Chanyeol pressed firmly with every bit of affection he felt, moulding their lips together so perfectly and involuntarily sighing through his nose with how his heart soared. Baekhyun kissed back with equal longing, his hands wrapping around Chanyeol more tightly. He gasped as Chanyeol ran his tongue over his bottom lip and then into his mouth, deepening the kiss as he wove his fingers into Baekhyun’s hair.

They kissed for minutes, hours, days… it didn’t matter, time had stopped. All that mattered was each other and their perfect cocoon of warmth beneath the covers where they kissed until their lips were red and swollen. Though it was fervent and heated at times, it never progressed, it was just a perfectly long, meaningful kiss. The kind that spoke a thousand words, communicating a feeling that had always been shared but never acknowledged out loud.

And when Chanyeol did reach out and turn off the lamp, he returned his lips to where they now belonged for a final embrace before sleep overtook them. Baekhyun finally found his eyes growing heavy with exhaustion, his mind quiet at last.

**Author's Note:**

> Kudos and comments are appreciated soooooo much you've no idea <3


End file.
